New CEO
1. January 2025
CHANGE IN STRATEGY AT VAIT
Christian Jörg is focusing on international agricultural trade
VA Intertrading AG (VAIT), one of Austria’s largest trading companies, is undergoing a strategic realignment. With Christian Jörg as its new CEO and its exit from the steel trading business, VAIT will henceforth focus exclusively on global agricultural commodities trading.
The focus is on grains, oilseeds, agricultural machinery, and integrated logistics and financing solutions. “This is a true new beginning in a time of great change. Proving ourselves on the global markets will be a great challenge with my motivated team,” says Christian Jörg. The 58-year-old has been leading VAIT as CEO since January 1, 2025.
The Swiss executive brings with him many years of experience from international agricultural and trading companies, including SALIC, SGS, Viterra, and UBS. Under his leadership, VAIT will focus on strategic direction, economies of scale, and risk management. “We are positioning VAIT for stable growth and international competitiveness. The agricultural trade sector is volatile, so it is crucial to manage this volatility effectively,” said Jörg.
Switzerland as a new strategic location
As part of its strategic realignment, VAIT is also opening an office in Geneva, the international hub for agricultural commodity trading. Going forward, “directional trading” will be managed from there, based on technical, fundamental, and macroeconomic analyses.
Linz remains the headquarters
Despite increasing globalization, Linz remains the center of the company’s operations. “My base is and will remain in Linz,” Jörg emphasizes. Further expansion plans include the Asian region, with a planned location in Singapore.
2025: A Year of Transformation
The new strategy is ambitious and has strong internal support. In the first 100 days of his tenure, Jörg has streamlined the management structure, consolidated business units, and initiated a new corporate culture.
“We have a clear vision, excellent teams, and a strong brand,” says Supervisory Board Chairman Florian Hagenauer, MBA, who is confident in the company’s successful realignment.
Read More
Strategic investment by the SIPAL Group
